The government will cut the number of new hires for elementary and secondary teachers by up to 30% through 2030 in response to the decline in the school-age population. It will instead focus on securing teachers needed for the high school credit system, basic academic skills support, and expanded artificial intelligence (AI) education.
The Ministry of Education on the 26th announced the "mid- to long-term (2027–2030) supply and demand plan for elementary and secondary subject teachers." The plan lays out measures to secure teachers that both proactively respond to the decline in student numbers and support balanced regional growth and the cultivation of future talent. Based on this, the Ministry of Education will finalize the annual teacher headcount each year after consultations with relevant ministries.
According to the plan, new hires for public school subject teachers in the 2027 academic year are expected to be 2,700–2,900 for elementary and 4,700–5,100 for secondary. Hiring will gradually decrease thereafter, falling to 2,500–2,800 for elementary and 3,300–3,700 for secondary in the 2030 academic year. Elementary teacher hiring will drop by up to 24.5% from 3,113 this year, and secondary teacher hiring will drop by up to 53.8% from 7,147 this year.
A Ministry of Education official said, "We hire around 5,000 secondary teachers every year, but last year we hired many more due to the increased workload from implementing the high school credit system," adding, "This makes the decline look somewhat larger."
The final annual hiring numbers will vary depending on retirements and leaves at each metropolitan and provincial office of education, and the 2027 academic year hiring scale will be announced in September.
The reduction in hiring is due to a declining student population. According to projections by the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS), the number of public elementary and secondary students is expected to decrease by about 900,000 (21%) by 2030 compared with 2025. Elementary is projected to fall by about 700,000 (30%), and secondary by about 200,000 (11%).
The government also reflected changes in education demand, not just simple cuts. The focus is on assigning secondary teachers for the high school credit system, specialized teachers for basic academic skills tailored to each student's level, and information subject teachers. Information subject teachers are linked to the expansion of AI-focused schools. AI-focused schools will increase from 1,000 this year to 1,500 in 2027 and 2,000 in 2028.
Regional conditions were also considered. Small schools in population-declining areas will be assigned teachers needed to run the curriculum, while in population-inflow areas such as new towns, support will be provided in parallel to ease overcrowded classes.
Minister Choi Kyo-jin of the Ministry of Education said, "Teacher supply and demand must take into full account not only the decline in student numbers but also the diverse education needs and environmental changes for cultivating future talent."